1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to remote heterogeneous server management, and, in particular, to a system and method for providing a flexible framework for remote heterogeneous server management and control.
2. Background
Interconnected networks of computer systems form the backbone of modern corporate information technology systems. These networks are typically composed of legacy systems, mid-range servers and individual personal computers interconnected via local area or intranetworks and wide area or internetworks, including the Internet. Although the configurations and topologies of each corporate networking system are unique, the underlying architectures of the network services provided over each networking system are generally standardized.
Network services are provided through standardized network protocols. The most common suites of network protocols are the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) suites, which are loosely based on the OSI/ISO seven-layer network model, such as described in W. R. Stevens, “TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1, The Protocols,” Ch. 1–3, Addison-Wesley (1994), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. In the TCP/IP protocol suite, functionality is assigned to four separate layers: link, network, transport, and application. Each layer performs specific responsibilities and exports well-defined interfaces to neighboring layers. In particular, the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application layer UDP protocol that provides a hierarchical management framework between network management stations (managers) and network elements (agents), such as described in Ibid at Ch. 25, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Similarly, Web browsers have gained wide acceptance for providing a de facto standardized user interface for presenting various forms of information on computer systems in a platform-independent manner. Web browsers rely on information written in formatted page description languages, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which is communicated between network nodes via the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), also an application layer TCP/IP protocol, such as described in W. R. Stevens, “TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 3, TCP For Transactions, HTTP, NNTP, and the UNIX Domain Protocols,” Ch. 17, Addison Wesley (1996), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. When combined with SNMP applications, Web browsers displaying information implemented in HTTP can provide a portable environment for remote system management.
A typical computer network arrangement can include a collection of heterogeneous computing systems manufactured by various hardware vendors and executing operating systems and application programs written by several different software vendors. Interconnectivity between the heterogeneous systems is achieved using the TCP/IP protocol suite, which abstracts the system-unique characteristics up through the application layer. However, once outside the ambit of the TCP/IP protocol suite, operations can become environment-dependent and system-specific. By nature, management operations tend to be platform-dependent. Consequently, providing management support to an installed base of computing systems can still require significant effort, as application-layer management applications must be tailored to operate in each deployed environment.
Ad hoc solutions to providing platform-independent management development and deployment focus primarily on a centralized management console paradigm, such as SNMP. Environment-specific agents software must be written and deployed to each supported platform, thereby increasing cost, complexity and maintenance. Moreover, the range of management functions is limited to those specifically provided by the SNMP protocol and cannot be generalized to facilitate a broader scope of control.
Therefore, there is a need for a decentralized architecture for managing heterogeneous systems with centralized control and platform independence. There is a further need for a system-independent management platform describing management application programs operable as independently configurable and monitorable network management components.